If you're looking for a good alternative to wearing lipstick, there are many ways to make your lips red without it. Several fruits and foods with red dye will stain your lips red for several hours, so you can get the look you want without having to buy cosmetic products. Try using fruit, red popsicles, or Kool-Aid powder to get pretty red lips.

Steps

Method1

Using Kool-Aid Powder

1

Buy red Kool-Aid powder. Look for a bright red shade that you like. Cherry, cranberry or strawberry-flavored powder will result in a pretty red stain.[1]

2

Pour the powder into a bowl. Any bowl or cup works just fine.

3

Add enough water to make a paste. Just add a few drops at a time. Stir in the water until you have a thick, spreadable paste.

Method2

Using Fruit

1

Choose bright red fruit. Using red fruit to give your lips a natural stain results in a pretty deep pink or red color. The deeper the fruit color, the darker your stain will be. Try the following different types of fruit to create the perfect stain:[2]

Cherries

Cranberries

Raspberries

Pomegranate seeds

Strawberries

Beets (not technically fruit, but they work just as well)

2

Rub the fruit on your lips. Just as you would if applying lipstick, rub the fruit over your lips. Try to stay within your lip lines instead of letting fruit juice get above or below your lips. Keep rubbing until your lips are completely coated in juice.

Squeeze the fruit as you rub to release the red juice.

If you're working with a large piece of fruit, it might help to cut it into smaller slices for a more precise application.

You could also squeeze out the juice into a bowl and apply it using a cotton swab.

3

Apply additional layers of color. Once the first layer of juice dries, you might decide you want a darker, more vibrant red. The more layers of fruit juice you add, the more red your lips will look. Let each layer dry for a minute before adding the next.

4

Seal the stain with clear lip gloss. This will help keep the fruit juice from rubbing off too quickly. A clear lip gloss will also add shine to make your lips look brighter and more vibrant.

5

Reapply throughout the day. A natural fruit stain will fade away within a few hours. If you want to keep your lips red all day, keep some fruit with you so you can reapply color as necessary.

You can use any food product with red dye. If you don't have popsicles available, look for red soda.

You can also use red food coloring, the kind used in baked goods. This is highly pigmented and will stain your lips for hours, so be careful.

2

Melt a popsicle into a bowl. You'll apply the melted popsicle to your lips just like you would fruit juice. If you'd prefer, you can eat the popsicle and let it stain your lips red, but it may end up looking a little messy.

3

Use a cotton swab to apply the melted popsicle to your lips. Rub it over your lips to coat them, making sure to stay within your lip lines. Let the liquid dry on your lips.

4

Add more layers for a deeper color. Every layer you apply will make your lips look redder, so apply as many coats as you want. Let each one dry for a moment before applying the next.

5

Seal the stain with clear lip gloss. This will prevent your stain from rubbing off and give your lips a pretty shine.

Yes, but I recommend trying to cure your chapped lips before worrying about color. Try applying some Vaseline or coconut/olive oil the night before, then lightly exfoliate them and apply a lip balm before adding color.

What should I do when I'm in a social gathering and the color starts to fade? I really don't want to go with bare lips for the rest of the party but I don't want to embarrass myself, what should I do?

wikiHow Contributor

If you use Kool-Aid or a strawberry, bring some to the party in a plastic storage bag in your handbag. Then, you can retouch as needed during the party. Or you might want to pack a lipstick just in case the color starts to fade. You could retouch your lipstick throughout the gathering.